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CHESAPEAKE ENERGY CORPORATION REPORTS 2022 SECOND QUARTER RESULTS AND ANNOUNCES IT IS SOLIDIFYING ITS STRATEGIC FOCUS ON CORE MARCELLUS AND HAYNESVILLE POSITIONS

CHESAPEAKE ENERGY CORPORATION REPORTS 2022 SECOND QUARTER RESULTS AND ANNOUNCES IT IS SOLIDIFYING ITS STRATEGIC FOCUS ON CORE MARCELLUS AND HAYNESVILLE POSITIONS
PR Newswire
OKLAHOMA CITY, Aug. 2, 2022

OKLAHOMA CITY, Aug. 2, 2022 /PRNewswire/ — Ch…

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CHESAPEAKE ENERGY CORPORATION REPORTS 2022 SECOND QUARTER RESULTS AND ANNOUNCES IT IS SOLIDIFYING ITS STRATEGIC FOCUS ON CORE MARCELLUS AND HAYNESVILLE POSITIONS

PR Newswire

OKLAHOMA CITY, Aug. 2, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Chesapeake Energy Corporation (NASDAQ: CHK) today reported 2022 second quarter financial and operating results and announced the company is taking actions to solidify its strategic focus on its core Marcellus and Haynesville positions.

  • Net cash provided by operating activities of $909 million
  • Delivered adjusted EBITDAX(1) of $1,269 million and $494 million in adjusted free cash flow(1)
  • Net income totaled $1,237 million, or $8.27 per diluted share; adjusted net income(1) of $729 million, or $4.87 per diluted share
  • Increased annual base dividend by 10% to $2.20 per share; total quarterly dividend of $2.32 per common share
  • Retired approximately $670 million, or approximately 7.6 million common shares through July 31; $2 billion common stock and warrant repurchase program remains active
  • Positioning Haynesville assets for future growth while reducing activity in Eagle Ford position which the company now views as non-core to its future capital allocation strategy
  • Entered into gas supply agreement with Golden Pass LNG facilities
  • Achieved Grade "A" MiQ and EO100™ certification for responsible energy production in legacy Marcellus operations

(1) A Non-GAAP measure as defined in the supplemental financial tables available on the company's website at www.chk.com. 


Nick Dell'Osso, Chesapeake's President and Chief Executive Officer, commented, "We continue to execute our business and deliver on our leading capital return program. Over the last two months we have doubled our share and warrant repurchase authorization to $2 billion, retired over $580 million in common shares, and increased our base dividend by 10%.

"We are pleased to also announce that we are solidifying our strategic focus on the two premier North American shale gas plays," added Dell'Osso. "Our acreage positions in the Marcellus and Haynesville are truly differentiated with industry leading capital efficiency, deep runways of low breakeven inventory, strong operating margins, and advantaged emissions profiles. Given we now view our Eagle Ford assets as non-core to our future capital allocation strategy, we are increasing our capital allocation to the Haynesville in the second half of the year and into 2023 to position the asset for returns-driven growth. Simply put, we are tightening our strategic focus around our best rock, best operations and lowest emissions footprint to generate the most attractive and sustainable capital returns in the industry and be the leader in answering the call for delivering the affordable, reliable, lower carbon energy the world needs."

Shareholder Return Update

During the second quarter of 2022, Chesapeake generated $909 million of operating cash flow and had $17 million of cash on hand at quarter-end. As a result of its significant free cash flow, Chesapeake is raising its base dividend by 10% to $2.20 per share. Consistent with the company's cash return framework, Chesapeake plans to pay its base and variable dividend on September 1, 2022 to shareholders of record at the close of business on August 17, 2022. The total common stock dividend, including the variable and base components, is calculated as follows:

($ and shares in millions, except per share amounts)


2Q 2022

Net cash provided by operating activities


$                           909

Less cash capital expenditures


415

Add back cash paid for acquisition costs


Adjusted free cash flow


494

Less cash paid for common base dividends


67

50% of adjusted free cash flow available for common variable dividends


$                           214





Common shares outstanding at 7/29/22(1)


121

Variable dividend payable per common share in September 2022


$                          1.77

Base dividend payable per common share in September 2022


$                          0.55

Total dividend payable per common share in September 2022


$                          2.32





(1) Basic common shares outstanding as of the declaration date of 8/2/2022. Assumes no exercise of warrants between dividend declaration date and dividend record date.


In June 2022, the company doubled its previously announced repurchase program authorization from $1 billion to up to $2 billion in aggregate value of its common stock and/or warrants through year-end 2023. Through July 31, 2022, Chesapeake has repurchased approximately 7.6 million shares of its common stock for approximately $670 million.

Operations and Marketing Update

Chesapeake's net production in the second quarter of 2022 was approximately 4,125 MMcfe per day (approximately 91% natural gas and 9% total liquids), utilizing an average of 16 rigs to drill 63 wells and placed 57 wells on production. Chesapeake is currently operating 16 rigs including five in the Marcellus, five in the Eagle Ford and six in the Haynesville, with the sixth rig just added in the last week. The company expects to drill 60 to 70 wells and place 40 to 50 wells on production in the third quarter of 2022.

To position the company for additional returns-driven growth from the Haynesville, the company is reallocating capital to the Haynesville and increasing its capital investment program by 15% to $1.75–$1.95 billion (previous guidance was $1.5–$1.8 billion). The move reflects industry-wide inflation as well as the addition of two operated Haynesville rigs with the sixth rig added in early August and a seventh rig before year-end. Chesapeake intends to reduce planned activities and investments in the Eagle Ford which includes dropping to three rigs by the end of August and exiting the year with two rigs.

Chesapeake is also working with midstream partners to increase our gas gathering and treating capacity in the Haynesville. The company expects to have incremental capacity available beginning in first quarter of 2023, growing through the end of 2023 to correspond with the volume growth generated by the projected increased rig activity.

Additionally, Chesapeake has entered into a term gas supply agreement (GSA) with Golden Pass LNG Terminal LLC ("Golden Pass") to deliver 300 mmcf per day of Responsibly Sourced, independently certified gas, from the Haynesville to Golden Pass's liquefied natural gas terminal on the Gulf Coast near Sabine Pass, Texas. The GSA is expected to begin in 2024 with a 36 month term at a NYMEX based price less a fixed differential. For more information on each of its operating areas, including projections for activity, well statistics and pricing, Chesapeake has posted slides on its website at www.chk.com.

ESG Update

Chesapeake achieved certification of its legacy Marcellus operations under the MiQ methane standard and the EO100™ Standard for Responsible Energy Development, which cover a broad range of environmental, social and governance (ESG) criteria. The company previously announced the certification of its Haynesville operations in December 2021, and is the first company to achieve Grade "A" ratings (the highest rating a company can earn) from MiQ across two major shale basins. The company anticipates its recently acquired position in the Marcellus from Chief E&D Holdings, LP and affiliates of Tug Hill, Inc. will achieve certification by year end, resulting in 100% independent certification for produced and marketed volumes across Chesapeake's two industry leading gas plays.

In 2021 and through June 30, 2022, Chesapeake has installed more than 2,000 continuous methane emission monitoring devices and retrofitted 15,000 pneumatic devices across its operations. As part of that effort, all operated new facility construction is engineered today to be 100% vent free using electric device technology, instrument air and vent capture systems. In addition, the company has executed an agreement beginning in the third quarter of 2022 to implement aerial Gas Mapping LiDAR scans to detect and quantify emissions multiple times per year across the entirety of its assets. Finally, the company joined Veritas, a GTI Differentiated Gas Measurement and Verification Initiative designed to accelerate actions that reduce methane leakage from natural gas systems.

Conference Call Information

Chesapeake plans to host a conference call to discuss recent results on Wednesday, August 3, 2022 at 9:00 am EDT. The telephone number to access the conference call is 877-344-7529 or 412-317-0088 for international callers. The passcode for the call is 6061361.

Financial Statements, Non-GAAP Financial Measures and 2022 Guidance and Outlook Projections

The company's 2022 second quarter financial and operational results, along with non-GAAP measures that adjust for items that are typically excluded by securities analysts, are available on the company's website. Such non-GAAP measures should be not considered as an alternative to GAAP measures. Reconciliations of these non-GAAP measures and other disclosures are provided with the supplemental financial tables available on the company's website at www.chk.com. Management's updated guidance for 2022 can be found on the company's website at www.chk.com.

Headquartered in Oklahoma City, Chesapeake Energy Corporation is powered by dedicated and innovative employees who are focused on discovering and responsibly developing our leading positions in top U.S. oil and gas plays. With a goal to achieve net-zero direct GHG emissions by 2035, Chesapeake is committed to safely answering the call for affordable, reliable, lower carbon energy.

Forward-Looking Statements

This news release and the accompanying outlook include "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933 and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. Forward-looking statements are statements other than statements of historical fact. They include statements that give our current expectations, management's outlook guidance or forecasts of future events, expected natural gas and oil growth trajectory, projected cash flow and liquidity, our ability to enhance our cash flow and financial flexibility, dividend plans, future production and commodity mix, plans and objectives for future operations, ESG initiatives, the ability of our employees, portfolio strength and operational leadership to create long-term value, and the assumptions on which such statements are based. Although we believe the expectations and forecasts reflected in our forward-looking statements are reasonable, they are inherently subject to numerous risks and uncertainties, most of which are difficult to predict and many of which are beyond our control. No assurance can be given that such forward-looking statements will be correct or achieved or that the assumptions are accurate or will not change over time.

Factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from expected results include those described under "Risk Factors" in Item 1A of our annual report on Form 10-K and any updates to those factors set forth in Chesapeake's subsequent quarterly reports on Form 10-Q or current reports on Form 8-K (available at http://www.chk.com/investors/sec-filings). These risk factors include: the ability to execute on our business strategy following emergence from bankruptcy; the impact of inflation and commodity price volatility resulting from Russia's invasion of Ukraine, COVID-19 and related supply chain constraints, along with the effect on our business, financial condition, employees, contractors and vendors, and on the global demand for oil and natural gas and U.S. and world financial markets; the acquisitions of Vine Energy Inc. ("Vine") and Chief E&D Holdings, LP and affiliates of Tug Hill, Inc. (together, "Chief"), including our ability to successfully integrate the businesses of Vine and Chief into the Company and achieve the expected synergies from these acquisitions within the expected timeframes; effects of purchase price adjustments and indemnity obligations; the volatility of oil, natural gas and NGL prices; the limitations our level of indebtedness may have on our financial flexibility; our ability to comply with the covenants under our credit facility and other indebtedness; our inability to access the capital markets on favorable terms; the availability of cash flows from operations and other funds to fund cash dividends, repurchases of equity, to finance reserve replacement costs and/or satisfy our debt obligations; write-downs of our oil and natural gas asset carrying values due to low commodity prices; our ability to replace reserves and sustain production; uncertainties inherent in estimating quantities of oil, natural gas and NGL reserves and projecting future rates of production and the amount and timing of development expenditures; our ability to generate profits or achieve targeted results in drilling and well operations; leasehold terms expiring before production can be established; commodity derivative activities resulting in lower prices realized on oil, natural gas and NGL sales; the need to secure derivative liabilities and the inability of counterparties to satisfy their obligations; adverse developments or losses from pending or future litigation and regulatory proceedings, including royalty claims; charges incurred in response to market conditions; drilling and operating risks and resulting liabilities; effects of environmental protection laws and regulations on our business and legislative, regulatory and environmental, social and governance ("ESG") initiatives, addressing environmental concerns, including initiatives addressing the impact of global climate change or further regulating hydraulic fracturing, methane emissions, flaring or water disposal; our ability to achieve and maintain ESG goals and certifications; our need to secure adequate supplies of water for our drilling operations and to dispose of or recycle the water used; impacts of potential legislative and regulatory actions addressing climate change; federal and state tax proposals affecting our industry; potential OTC derivatives regulation limiting our ability to hedge against commodity price fluctuations; competition in the oil and gas exploration and production industry; a deterioration in general economic, business or industry conditions; negative public perceptions of our industry; limited control over properties we do not operate; pipeline and gathering system capacity constraints and transportation interruptions; terrorist activities or cyber-attacks adversely impacting our operations; and an interruption in operations at our headquarters due to a catastrophic event.

In addition, disclosures concerning the estimated contribution of derivative contracts to our future results of operations are based upon market information as of a specific date. These market prices are subject to significant volatility. Our production forecasts are also dependent upon many assumptions, including estimates of production decline rates from existing wells and the outcome of future drilling activity. We caution you not to place undue reliance on our forward-looking statements that speak only as of the date of this news release, and we undertake no obligation to update any of the information provided in this release, except as required by applicable law. In addition, this news release contains time-sensitive information that reflects management's best judgment only as of the date of this news release.

INVESTOR CONTACT:

MEDIA CONTACT:

Brad Sylvester, CFA

(405) 935-8870

ir@chk.com

Gordon Pennoyer

(405) 935-8878

media@chk.com

 

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SOURCE Chesapeake Energy Corporation

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Homes listed for sale in early June sell for $7,700 more

New Zillow research suggests the spring home shopping season may see a second wave this summer if mortgage rates fall
The post Homes listed for sale in…

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  • A Zillow analysis of 2023 home sales finds homes listed in the first two weeks of June sold for 2.3% more. 
  • The best time to list a home for sale is a month later than it was in 2019, likely driven by mortgage rates.
  • The best time to list can be as early as the second half of February in San Francisco, and as late as the first half of July in New York and Philadelphia. 

Spring home sellers looking to maximize their sale price may want to wait it out and list their home for sale in the first half of June. A new Zillow® analysis of 2023 sales found that homes listed in the first two weeks of June sold for 2.3% more, a $7,700 boost on a typical U.S. home.  

The best time to list consistently had been early May in the years leading up to the pandemic. The shift to June suggests mortgage rates are strongly influencing demand on top of the usual seasonality that brings buyers to the market in the spring. This home-shopping season is poised to follow a similar pattern as that in 2023, with the potential for a second wave if the Federal Reserve lowers interest rates midyear or later. 

The 2.3% sale price premium registered last June followed the first spring in more than 15 years with mortgage rates over 6% on a 30-year fixed-rate loan. The high rates put home buyers on the back foot, and as rates continued upward through May, they were still reassessing and less likely to bid boldly. In June, however, rates pulled back a little from 6.79% to 6.67%, which likely presented an opportunity for determined buyers heading into summer. More buyers understood their market position and could afford to transact, boosting competition and sale prices.

The old logic was that sellers could earn a premium by listing in late spring, when search activity hit its peak. Now, with persistently low inventory, mortgage rate fluctuations make their own seasonality. First-time home buyers who are on the edge of qualifying for a home loan may dip in and out of the market, depending on what’s happening with rates. It is almost certain the Federal Reserve will push back any interest-rate cuts to mid-2024 at the earliest. If mortgage rates follow, that could bring another surge of buyers later this year.

Mortgage rates have been impacting affordability and sale prices since they began rising rapidly two years ago. In 2022, sellers nationwide saw the highest sale premium when they listed their home in late March, right before rates barreled past 5% and continued climbing. 

Zillow’s research finds the best time to list can vary widely by metropolitan area. In 2023, it was as early as the second half of February in San Francisco, and as late as the first half of July in New York. Thirty of the top 35 largest metro areas saw for-sale listings command the highest sale prices between May and early July last year. 

Zillow also found a wide range in the sale price premiums associated with homes listed during those peak periods. At the hottest time of the year in San Jose, homes sold for 5.5% more, a $88,000 boost on a typical home. Meanwhile, homes in San Antonio sold for 1.9% more during that same time period.  

 

Metropolitan Area Best Time to List Price Premium Dollar Boost
United States First half of June 2.3% $7,700
New York, NY First half of July 2.4% $15,500
Los Angeles, CA First half of May 4.1% $39,300
Chicago, IL First half of June 2.8% $8,800
Dallas, TX First half of June 2.5% $9,200
Houston, TX Second half of April 2.0% $6,200
Washington, DC Second half of June 2.2% $12,700
Philadelphia, PA First half of July 2.4% $8,200
Miami, FL First half of June 2.3% $12,900
Atlanta, GA Second half of June 2.3% $8,700
Boston, MA Second half of May 3.5% $23,600
Phoenix, AZ First half of June 3.2% $14,700
San Francisco, CA Second half of February 4.2% $50,300
Riverside, CA First half of May 2.7% $15,600
Detroit, MI First half of July 3.3% $7,900
Seattle, WA First half of June 4.3% $31,500
Minneapolis, MN Second half of May 3.7% $13,400
San Diego, CA Second half of April 3.1% $29,600
Tampa, FL Second half of June 2.1% $8,000
Denver, CO Second half of May 2.9% $16,900
Baltimore, MD First half of July 2.2% $8,200
St. Louis, MO First half of June 2.9% $7,000
Orlando, FL First half of June 2.2% $8,700
Charlotte, NC Second half of May 3.0% $11,000
San Antonio, TX First half of June 1.9% $5,400
Portland, OR Second half of April 2.6% $14,300
Sacramento, CA First half of June 3.2% $17,900
Pittsburgh, PA Second half of June 2.3% $4,700
Cincinnati, OH Second half of April 2.7% $7,500
Austin, TX Second half of May 2.8% $12,600
Las Vegas, NV First half of June 3.4% $14,600
Kansas City, MO Second half of May 2.5% $7,300
Columbus, OH Second half of June 3.3% $10,400
Indianapolis, IN First half of July 3.0% $8,100
Cleveland, OH First half of July  3.4% $7,400
San Jose, CA First half of June 5.5% $88,400

 

The post Homes listed for sale in early June sell for $7,700 more appeared first on Zillow Research.

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Survey Shows Declining Concerns Among Americans About COVID-19

Survey Shows Declining Concerns Among Americans About COVID-19

A new survey reveals that only 20% of Americans view covid-19 as "a major threat"…

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Survey Shows Declining Concerns Among Americans About COVID-19

A new survey reveals that only 20% of Americans view covid-19 as "a major threat" to the health of the US population - a sharp decline from a high of 67% in July 2020.

(SARMDY/Shutterstock)

What's more, the Pew Research Center survey conducted from Feb. 7 to Feb. 11 showed that just 10% of Americans are concerned that they will  catch the disease and require hospitalization.

"This data represents a low ebb of public concern about the virus that reached its height in the summer and fall of 2020, when as many as two-thirds of Americans viewed COVID-19 as a major threat to public health," reads the report, which was published March 7.

According to the survey, half of the participants understand the significance of researchers and healthcare providers in understanding and treating long COVID - however 27% of participants consider this issue less important, while 22% of Americans are unaware of long COVID.

What's more, while Democrats were far more worried than Republicans in the past, that gap has narrowed significantly.

"In the pandemic’s first year, Democrats were routinely about 40 points more likely than Republicans to view the coronavirus as a major threat to the health of the U.S. population. This gap has waned as overall levels of concern have fallen," reads the report.

More via the Epoch Times;

The survey found that three in ten Democrats under 50 have received an updated COVID-19 vaccine, compared with 66 percent of Democrats ages 65 and older.

Moreover, 66 percent of Democrats ages 65 and older have received the updated COVID-19 vaccine, while only 24 percent of Republicans ages 65 and older have done so.

“This 42-point partisan gap is much wider now than at other points since the start of the outbreak. For instance, in August 2021, 93 percent of older Democrats and 78 percent of older Republicans said they had received all the shots needed to be fully vaccinated (a 15-point gap),” it noted.

COVID-19 No Longer an Emergency

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recently issued its updated recommendations for the virus, which no longer require people to stay home for five days after testing positive for COVID-19.

The updated guidance recommends that people who contracted a respiratory virus stay home, and they can resume normal activities when their symptoms improve overall and their fever subsides for 24 hours without medication.

“We still must use the commonsense solutions we know work to protect ourselves and others from serious illness from respiratory viruses, this includes vaccination, treatment, and staying home when we get sick,” CDC director Dr. Mandy Cohen said in a statement.

The CDC said that while the virus remains a threat, it is now less likely to cause severe illness because of widespread immunity and improved tools to prevent and treat the disease.

Importantly, states and countries that have already adjusted recommended isolation times have not seen increased hospitalizations or deaths related to COVID-19,” it stated.

The federal government suspended its free at-home COVID-19 test program on March 8, according to a website set up by the government, following a decrease in COVID-19-related hospitalizations.

According to the CDC, hospitalization rates for COVID-19 and influenza diseases remain “elevated” but are decreasing in some parts of the United States.

Tyler Durden Sun, 03/10/2024 - 22:45

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Rand Paul Teases Senate GOP Leader Run – Musk Says “I Would Support”

Rand Paul Teases Senate GOP Leader Run – Musk Says "I Would Support"

Republican Kentucky Senator Rand Paul on Friday hinted that he may jump…

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Rand Paul Teases Senate GOP Leader Run - Musk Says "I Would Support"

Republican Kentucky Senator Rand Paul on Friday hinted that he may jump into the race to become the next Senate GOP leader, and Elon Musk was quick to support the idea. Republicans must find a successor for periodically malfunctioning Mitch McConnell, who recently announced he'll step down in November, though intending to keep his Senate seat until his term ends in January 2027, when he'd be within weeks of turning 86. 

So far, the announced field consists of two quintessential establishment types: John Cornyn of Texas and John Thune of South Dakota. While John Barrasso's name had been thrown around as one of "The Three Johns" considered top contenders, the Wyoming senator on Tuesday said he'll instead seek the number two slot as party whip. 

Paul used X to tease his potential bid for the position which -- if the GOP takes back the upper chamber in November -- could graduate from Minority Leader to Majority Leader. He started by telling his 5.1 million followers he'd had lots of people asking him about his interest in running...

...then followed up with a poll in which he predictably annihilated Cornyn and Thune, taking a 96% share as of Friday night, with the other two below 2% each. 

Elon Musk was quick to back the idea of Paul as GOP leader, while daring Cornyn and Thune to follow Paul's lead by throwing their names out for consideration by the Twitter-verse X-verse. 

Paul has been a stalwart opponent of security-state mass surveillance, foreign interventionism -- to include shoveling billions of dollars into the proxy war in Ukraine -- and out-of-control spending in general. He demonstrated the latter passion on the Senate floor this week as he ridiculed the latest kick-the-can spending package:   

In February, Paul used Senate rules to force his colleagues into a grueling Super Bowl weekend of votes, as he worked to derail a $95 billion foreign aid bill. "I think we should stay here as long as it takes,” said Paul. “If it takes a week or a month, I’ll force them to stay here to discuss why they think the border of Ukraine is more important than the US border.”

Don't expect a Majority Leader Paul to ditch the filibuster -- he's been a hardy user of the legislative delay tactic. In 2013, he spoke for 13 hours to fight the nomination of John Brennan as CIA director. In 2015, he orated for 10-and-a-half-hours to oppose extension of the Patriot Act

Rand Paul amid his 10 1/2 hour filibuster in 2015

Among the general public, Paul is probably best known as Capitol Hill's chief tormentor of Dr. Anthony Fauci, who was director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Disease during the Covid-19 pandemic. Paul says the evidence indicates the virus emerged from China's Wuhan Institute of Virology. He's accused Fauci and other members of the US government public health apparatus of evading questions about their funding of the Chinese lab's "gain of function" research, which takes natural viruses and morphs them into something more dangerous. Paul has pointedly said that Fauci committed perjury in congressional hearings and that he belongs in jail "without question."   

Musk is neither the only nor the first noteworthy figure to back Paul for party leader. Just hours after McConnell announced his upcoming step-down from leadership, independent 2024 presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy, Jr voiced his support: 

In a testament to the extent to which the establishment recoils at the libertarian-minded Paul, mainstream media outlets -- which have been quick to report on other developments in the majority leader race -- pretended not to notice that Paul had signaled his interest in the job. More than 24 hours after Paul's test-the-waters tweet-fest began, not a single major outlet had brought it to the attention of their audience. 

That may be his strongest endorsement yet. 

Tyler Durden Sun, 03/10/2024 - 20:25

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